Car-platform



(No Model.)

J. M. TAGGART.

GAR PLATFORM. No. 395,014. Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

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JAMES M. TAGGART, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-PLATFORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,014, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed March 10, 1888. Serial No. 266,868. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. TAGGART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Coach Platforms, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention has for its object an improved form of compressible platform for railwaycoaches.

Heretofore it has been a matter of frequent occurrence when passenger coaches are coupled together that the platforms of adjacent coaches have been injured and broken by the concussion, and various means have been used to obviate this trouble. In my improved form of compressible platform, I 10- cate a number of spiral steel springs intermediate of the buffer-beam and the frame of the coach, that any concussion of the adjacent coaches caused by coupling or collision may be received by said springs, instead of the shock falling directly on the unyielding frame of the coach. To accomplish this I provide the platform with slots, in which the supports of the hand-rail may slide when the platform is compressed. I also employ a novel means for permitting the steps leading to said platform to pass underneath the coach. It will of course be understood that the strength of the springs and power necessary to compress them increases in proportion to the degree of compression. Afew tons pressure might cause the springs to be compressed a few inches, while it would require many times as great a pressure to compress them into a space half their length, so that, practically no ordinary compression or collision, even though due to accident, would compress these springs to their full extent, and thus the platform under which they are located would be free from destruction.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation view of the platform of two adjacent coaches, certain portions of said platforms being broken away and in section, so as to show the springs, said springs being compressed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the platform, certain portions being broken away, the springs being compressed, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation view of a portion of a coach and platform, certainportions being shown in section. Fig. 4 is an obverse plan view of two coach-platforms, showing the supporting-bars for the same.

A is a coach provided with platform B, having floor I), said floor being provided with the longitudinal slot 1), in which the hand-railsupporting posts 0 have sliding bearing when the platform is compressed. The coach is provided at its forward end with the transverse bar C, and the platform is provided with the transverse bar or buffer-beam 0, each of said bars being provided with the perforations 11 in which are inserted the bearings c. The forward face of said bar (J and the rearward face of said bar 0 are provided with the metallic bearing blocks or sockets, respectively, e e, in which the respective ends of the spiral springs E have bearing. Passing through said perforation, and also through the spiral springs, are the bolts F, provided at their forward ends with the ordinary heads f, and at their rearward ends with the nuts f, the said heads being countersunk in the forward face of said beam C and covered with the plate secured to said forward face. Secured to the under side of beam 0 are the two platform-supporting stringers G G, on which the platform rest-s, said stringers terminating in the bluntly wedge-shaped ends g. Similar stringers are used to support the platform'of the adjacent coach, but are so arranged that the stringers of the one coach do not come in contact with the stringers of the neXttl1at is, they alternate one another. Steps H are secured at their outer ends to buffer-beam C. The rise of the upper step, 72, is formed of two planks, h if, provided with slots j, in which the bolts j have sliding bearings. Bolted to one end of the coach, at its forward portion and underneath the coach at its rearward portion, are the supportingbars it, their central portions being parallel with the lower edge of the coach, said bars passing through perforation lof said board Z, thus permitting the steps to slide underneath the coach when the platform is compressed. The face-plate g, being secured to the bufferbeam, prevents the heads of the bolts F from protruding forward as the platform is compressed, and causes the rearward ends of said bolts to slide underneath the coach when the compression occurs.

It will be noticed that I provide two sets of springs transversely of the platform,one set being located immediately over the other. Vhile so doing I am enabled to double the aggregate power of the springs, so that it is practically impossible to compress them sufficiently to cause the buffer-beam to recede a distance equal to the length of the slots (1', in which the hand-rail supports slide, and until such a point is reached there can be no danger of the breakage of the platform or the telescoping of the coaches. Indeed, so powerful can be made the force of the springs, arranged as I have shown, that it would be practically impossible in any ordinary accident to telescope the coach. It will also be noticed that the wedge-shaped fm-mation of the ends of the supporting-bars G 5 permits said bars to pass underneath the platform of the colliding coach, and, as they are arranged alternately, as has been explained, there is no danger of their striking each other, or one platform sliding upon the other.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings set forth in detail mechanism in embodiment of my invention. (hange may therefore be made therein, provided the principles of COIlSil'UCTlOll respectively recited in the folimving claims are retained and employed.

I therefore pzu-ticularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In a compressible railway-coach platli'orm, the combim'rtion, with buffer-beam C, and springs E, located between the buffe1.'-bea1n and the body of said coach, of floor I), located clear o f said springs and rigidly secured to the coach at one extremity and havingloose hearing on said biiITer-bemn at its opposite extremity, whereby said buffer-beam has loose slidin bearing under said floor, substan tially set forth.

2. In a compressible railway-mach plat form, the combination, with a bu fl er-beam, C, and a series of springs, E, res imctivcly, having one extremity directly engaging with said bufl fer-beam and the opposite extremity engaging with transverse car-beam C, of a series of spring-supporting rods, F, having their opposite extremities respectively working in slots h formed in said buffer-beam and transverse car-supporting beam, and a platform, B, having bearing on said buffer-beam and having its free end terminating thereon, substantially as set forth.

3. In a compressible railway-coach platform, the combination, with a bufli'er-beam, U, and a series of springs, E, respectively, having one extremity directly engaging with said bu f fer-beam and the opposite extremity engaging with transverse car-beam C, of a series of S1.)rlug-suppo1'ti11g rods, F, having their opposite extremities respectively working in slots b formed in said buffer-beam and transverse car supporting beam, and a platform, I), having bearing on said bulfer-l'ieam and having its free end terminatii'lg thereon, said bufferbeam provided with a face-plate, g, covering the extremities of said spring-supporting rods, substantially as set forth.

4-. In a compressible railway-coach platform, the combination, with hand-rail supportingrods 0, of floor 1), provided with slots 1), in which said supports have sliding beari1'ig,sub-

' stantially as set forth.

5. Ina compressible railway-coach platform, steps H, having the rise 7r of the upper step composed of two portions, respectively, b 72?, parallel and adjacent to each other, the former portion, h, rigidly secured to one side of the steps, the latter portion, 72?, rigidly secured to the body of the coach, said two portions having sliding bearing on each other,

substantially as set forth.

6. In a compressible railway-coach platform, the combination, with steps H, secured to the platform, of rods 75, secured to the body of the coach, said steps having sliding bearing on said rods, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing to be my invention 1 have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of March, A. I). 1888.

JAMES M. TAGGART.

\Vii nesses:

ARTHUR H. SICOLTE, STEPHEN EssEX. 

